The DL-6 Incident
by Just.InStories
Summary: 12-28-01 The date that changed many lives. The first chapter will cover the IS-7 Incident trial's last day. The second chapter will cover DL-6 itself. Story contains spoilers for AA 1-4 and AAI2-3
1. Chapter 1

**(A:N: Hello, there. The date of 12-28-16 is coming up, and to celebrate it, I've written a story based around it. This first chapter actually centers around the IS-7 Incident trial's final day. Apologies if anything is inaccurate, for you see I found this case very confusing, and used a lot of online sources, as well as some helpful people on the internet to help clarify it for me, all the while, putting my own twist on it. If anything is inaccurate, I'm sorry. And, apologies once again for any grammatical errors. If there's any I missed, when editing, I'd he happy to have them pointed out. Thank you, and enjoy! And remember... don't forget DL-6)**

 **December 28, 1:37 PM**

 **Courtroom No. 3**

The noise of the gallery still fills the courtroom, but the pound of the gavel silences them.

"Court will now reconvene." says the judge. "Now, I believe the defendant had something to say?"

Jeffery Master takes up the stand with a solemn look on his face.

"...Yes, Your Honor." Master finally speaks out.

"Well? What is it?"

Gregory Edgeworth and his son Miles, the defense, sit at their respective bench. They stare at Jeff, curious of what he is to say.

After he sits at the stand for a few minutes, Master finally breathes out. "I confess..."

The judge screams out. "WHAAAAT!?"

The courtroom erupts into chaos, but silences from the pounds of the gavel.

"Mr. Master! Are you... actually confessing? Confessing to the murder of Isaac Dover?"

Master looks down in silence, pausing and stuttering. He then speaks up. "Y-y-yes. Y-yes I am."

The courtroom once again breaks into a sea of mumbling and talking, but rather than the hits of the gavel, silencing the noise, the sound of a finger snap echoes into the room, quieting the gallery.

"Hmph. And there you have It." speaks up Manfred von Karma, the prosecutor on the case, standing over at the prosecutor's bench with a smirk. "The fool finally confessed." von Karma chuckles to himself. "I guess the guilt was too much to bear, hmm?" The prosecutor's chuckle then turns into a laugh.

"What is your opinion on this confession, Mr. Edgeworth?" asks the judge.

"Father." Miles whispers, turning to his father. "He confessed! What are we to do now?"

Gregory faces Miles. "Don't worry, son. Luckily for us, I have my trump card. With it, we'll finally expose the corrupt prosecutor von Karma is."

Edgeworth turns back to von Karma. "So, von Karma, I naturally assume that this confession is to Master's will, yes?

Manfred turns to face Gregory with an annoyed look. "Hmph. What a foolish question! Of course this is to his will!"

Edgeworth smirks as he pulls out a file from his briefcase. He holds up the file to show it to the courtroom.

"Then, explain this!" shouts Edgeworth.

"A file? And what about this file, Mr. Edgeworth?" inquires the judge.

"This file is a written report on a certain briefing given by the previous detective on this case. This detective, along with von Karma, was interrogating my defendant."

 **Objection!**

"Where did you get that?" cries von Karma, with a worried tone in this voice.

"Courtesy of Detective Badd, Mr. von Karma."

"Badd..." von Karma stutters. He then slams his hand on the bench. "That fool!" But then, von Karma recomposes himself, as he then bears a smirk.

"Now, Your Honor. You will find the contents of that report, very interesting." declares Edgeworth.

"Allow me to look at that file," says the judge. A bailiff hands him the folder, as the judge then looks over it for a few minutes.

"E-Eureka! These two essentially just blackmailed your client into confessing!"

The gallery's murmur knows no bounds again, as it fills the courtroom's air.

"Order! Order in the court!" yells the judge, as he pounds his gavel.

"Your Honor, the previous detective, and lead prosecutor on this case, both blackmailed my client..."

"Hold on." the judge intervenes. "Lead prosecutor? Wouldn't that be... Mr. von Karma sitting over there?"

"Precisely, Your Honor." assures Edgeworth, as he points to Manfred. " Manfred von Karma. You forced my client into a confession."

 **Objection!**

"Bah, does your foolishness know no bounds?" Karma waves his finger in the air. "I don't know anything about this "blackmail." You cannot prove I had anything to do with blackmail!"

"And why is that?" inquires, His Honor.

"Hmph, let me see that!" demands von Karma.

A bailiff takes the file from the judge and hands it to the prosecutor. Manfred looks over the file, while mumbling things under his breath. He closes it and then chuckles.

"Bah! This is your "proof?" Proof that I forced this confession?" Manfred shakes his head as he then waves his finger in front of Gregory. "This-" shouts Karma "-proves nothing!"

"And, why is that?" questions Gregory.

"Badd has had ill will of me, lately. " grunts out von Karma. "Easily that foolish detective-" Karma snaps his fingers, making the sound echo in the soundless courtroom, "-could've forged this file!"

The courtroom once again breaks into chaos, being silenced by the judge's gavel.

"Order! Order, I say!" commands the judge, turning to the prosecutor's bench. "But, von Karma. Can you prove Detective Badd could've faked that file you have there?"

"Prove?" barks von Karma. "I have no obligation to prove anything! It is you who must prove something here." says von Karma, pointing to the defense's bench. "Not I."

Gregory is knocked back by von Karma's claim, glasses nearly flying off his face, as he realizes... he has nothing.

"Mr. Edgeworth." speaks up the judge. "Do you have anything more corporeal? Like an audio recording?" The judge then bears a firm look.

" _(Yes, an audio recording.)"_ echoes Edgeworth's thoughts " _(Detective Badd said he had one, but couldn't give it to me at the moment. I wonder what he meant by that. Either way... it would be very useful at this moment...)_

"Hmm, what's this?" The words interrupting the defense attorney's thoughts, as he looks up, to see a smirking von Karma. "You don't have any proof? So, it is as I say." Karma lets out a laugh, before snapping his finger again. "You-cannot prove anything!"

 **Objection!**

Everyone in the courtroom silences, and turns their attention to the stand. At the stand, a thick-bearded, red-coated man, holding a lighter stands there.

"Gregory here may not be able to prove it, but maybe I can, y'know?"

The judge takes notice of the man. "Chief Prosecutor Blaise Debeste! For what can we make this acquaintance?"

"Oh, no need to acknowledge me like that." tears were beginning to fill his goggles. "You're gonna make this old man cry, y'know?"

He then takes on a serious look, and empty his goggles of the tears inside them. "Anyways, let's not waste anytime."

He then ignites the lighter and waves it around. "Your Honor; I can indeed confirm, that the confession the defendant just gave…. was forced."

The court once again ruptures into chaos.

 **Objection!**

"Chief Prosecutor Debeste." Von Karma speaks up, although bearing a sweaty and worried look on his face "I'm afraid; I deny your claims about me forcing the defendant to confess. Unle-"

 **Objection!**

"Unless what?" buts in Blaise, still waving the lit lighter. "Unless, I have... evidence?" The prosecutor turns off the lighter, tucks it way and beams a menacing grin. "Honestly, you think I got this far, only to not do my homework?" Once again, he dawns a stern look. "Y'see, Detective Badd presented me with this recording, and that report, before this trial." As soon as Debeste says, "this recording", he takes out a tape player, with a tape already loaded.

Von Karma notices it, and starts to sweat profusely.

"Ah! This seemed to have gain a reaction out of you." grins Debeste. "Your Honor, I would like to play this recording for this humble court."

"I will allow it." nods the judge.

The click of the play button echoes in the court, along with the static of the tape. It then begins to play. Sure enough, the voice of the initial detective, Rip Lacer and Manfred von Karma, are heard on the tape. And the words heard from the recording, match the words of the printed document. This tape made one thing sure. Manfred von Karma... forced the confession.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I-" The Judge suddenly speaks up, amidst the silence. "-I can't believe it." The judge has a stern, yet disappointed look on his face. "Von Karma, I've always heard rumors about you. But little did I know, that those rumors were true."

"I admit, that I forced a confession out of Master."

The judge shakes his head. "Chief Prosecutor Debeste? I shall see, that you..."

"Yes, yes. I shall I shall see von Karma receive punishment for forging those pieces of evidence."

 **Hold It!**

"Pieces?" asks Gregory.

"...! Ah, yes, I knew there was something else I needed to say." Says Blaise, pulling out the lighter once more, lighting it and waving it around.

"Gregory; it is as you inserted in one of the previous sessions." He then takes out another paper, and sends that one into flames as well, flicking off the remaining ash. "That autopsy report-" he grins "was forged!"

"Wait... WHAAAAAAT!?"

The courtroom starts to go into bedlam once again. Pounds of the judge's gavel try to silence them, but the pandemonium persists.

"Order!" demands the judge "Order in the court! Order, or I'll suspend the proceedings!"

After a while, the court silences, and the judge turns to look at Debeste.

"Is...Is what you say true?" queries the judge.

Debeste nods. "Y'see, I have investigated into the matter, ever since Gregory had brought up that possibility. And after careful investigating, it is indeed true." Debeste turns to a now sweating von Karma. "Manfred von Karma, you forged the autopsy."

The court once again begins to erupt into mumbling and talking, but is silenced with a pound of the gavel.

"Mr. von Karma?" The judge looks at von Karma sternly.

Von Karma sits in silence, sweating enough to fill a bucket. He starts to stutter. "I...I...I-I-I-I-I... I de-"

 **Objection!**

"If you're going to say you deny my claim...don't." Debeste chuckles to himself a little, before developing another grin. "Give it up, von Karma. You're nothing more than a forger."

"I...I...I-" stammers von Karma.

The prosecutor slams his fist onto the bench and screams deafeningly, which echoes inside the courtroom. He then slams his head on the desk, mumbling.

"It is true."

The judge looks over inquisitively. "E-excuse me?"

Von Karma lifts his head from the desk, composing himself.

"It is true, Your Honor! I had the coroner forge the autopsy."

"Hmm, I see." The judge thinks to himself, before speaking up. "Allow me to clarify one thing. Gregory said that you forged the autopsy, because the initial investigator on the case didn't find any trace of the body." The judge then bears a shocked look. "Are you saying that the body, indeed, went missing?"

"Correct." hastily says Karma.

The court once again enters chaos, but is silenced with a couple of strikes from the gavel.

"Unbelievable! The body was lost all this time. And I assume this is the reason you forged the report, Mr. von Karma?"

"Yes. Indeed, it is."

"Well, missing corpse or not, forging evidence is still a serious offense."

"Do not worry, Your Honor." interjects Blaise. "I shall see that von Karma will atone for his offense."

Manfred opens his mouth to say something, but quickly closes it. He then bears a look of anger, all the while looking at Blaise.

"Hmm. For today, I shall see we suspend these proceedings, and reconvene tomorrow. I shall see that the missing body be found soon. Does the prosecution or defense have any objections?"

"The defense has no objections, Your Honor." Says Gregory.

Manfred folds his arms, and says nothing.

"Very well. Court is ad-"

 **Objection!**

"Mr. Master?"

Standing at the witness stand, is the defendant himself, Jeff Master. He speaks up once again, with a grave look on his face.

"I...I confess."

"Master, there's no need to confess." buts in Gregory "We've already established that the confession was forced. There's no need to-"

Jeff shakes his head. "No, I'm not confessing to the murder. But, as an accomplice to it."

"Wait...WHAT!?" shouts Gregory, glasses actually falling off his face this time, and onto the bench. He picks them up, and readjusts them back on.

"Wait? You're saying you didn't kill Issac Dover, yet, assisted the murderer?"

"Indeed."

 **Objection!**

"But, Mr. Master. There's no way, you could've..."

"This trial has been going on for a year, has it not?" interrupts Master.

"...?"

"Why continue any longer? We would just be going in circles over and over again. And the truth will disappear, to be lost forever. Instead, I will just confess to my crime." Master addresses the judge. "Your Honor! I plead guilty. Plead guilty to being an accomplice to the murder of Issac Dover."

The gallery starts to fill with mumbling once more, but silences down by itself.

"Hm. Well, I would be lying to say I'm not shocked. Finally, part of the truth has come to light." The judge shakes his head. "This would mean we would have to interrogate other suspects, and find out who's the real murderer, and why Master agreed to assist them."

"Unfortunately, Your Honor," speaks up von Karma. "that is not possible."

"And why is that?" interrogates the judge.

"You see, the only other suspect in this case, he... has fled away."

"Fled away?!"

"Yes. He disappeared one week ago, and the police are still on the search for him."

"And you're sure that's the only suspect?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Hmm, I see." finally sighs the judge. "Well, if he is indeed the culprit Mr. Master aided, then let up hope he is found and brought to justice." The judge looks at Master. "Defendant, I am about to hand down a verdict, and you will be found guilty of being an accomplice to murder."

"I understand."

"And, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Father?" Miles says with a worried look, facing Gregory.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do. I can object, and continue this trial, but for what? There's barely any evidence to prove Master innocent, and we will continue to stray from the truth. Not to mention, this confession he just gave, as far as we know, was not forced out of him. And, right now, I have nothing to prove he's not an accomplice."

Miles stares in silence.

"But in the future, I hope, I will get a re-trial for Master. And the truth of this case will finally come to light."

Gregory turns from his son, and to His Honor. "The defense has no objections." he sighs, defeated.

"Very well. On the charge as accomplice to murder, the court finds Jeffery Master..."

 **Guilty**

"The accused will surrender to the court immediately, to be held pending trial at a higher court within a month from today's date. That is all. The court is adjourned!"

The pound of the gavel echoes inside the courtroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N: So...I may have some explaining to do. Basically, the day of DL-6 and the end of Turnabout Goodbyes was near, and I haven't started the second chapter yet, so I decided to get on right away. Then something happened. I won't explain what, but I couldn't be near a computer of any sorts for a while. When I could again, it was too late. So, sorry that this chapter is later than I wanted it to be. Luckily, I spent more time on it since I wasn't on a schedule of any sorts. If there's any spelling or grammar errors, please alert me. Thank you and enjoy.)**

 **December 28 3:00 PM**

 **Court House**

The hands of the bailiffs lay on the knobs as they open up the courtroom doors, their old creak echoing loud. As soon as the doors open, Gregory, Miles, Debeste, von Karma, and lastly Jeffery Master, who's in cuffs, walk out. As soon as they step out the court, they are bombarded with hundreds of reporters, each shoving a microphone in one of their faces. Blaise and Manfred, with annoyed looks, shoo a reporter off, or occasionally answering one of their questions hastily and annoyingly, and bursting through them. Gregory and Master try to answer some of the questions, all with a solemn attitude. Manfred and Blaise walk off to another place in the courthouse, after Blaise whispers something in Karma's ear.

Gregory, Miles, Master and the police apprehending him, finish speaking into the other microphones shoved in their faces, as they fish their way through the crowd. The police lead Master to a large corridor, as the Edgeworths follow him. As the police are about to take Master away behind a large door, Gregory stops them for a moment.

"Master!"

The guards stop to turn as Jeff does the same.

"I-"

Gregory looks down glumly on the floor.

"I'm sorry. I promised you an acquittal. But, in the end….."

Gregory looks back up.

"But, why? Why did you confess to being an accomplice? You and I both know that's not true."

Jeffery looks away, his eyes tearing up. He turns away from Gregory forcing the police detaining him to turn as well, as he states.

"I'm sorry, Gregory. I'm sorry…"

The police and Master start walking again, and go through the large door to take Jeffery away. The Edgeworths are about to turn away and walk in their own direction, but not without Gregory first noticing a water drop fall on the floor, in front of Master. A tear… Gregory heaves out a sigh at the sight of that.

* * *

The two Edgeworths walk through the upper level of the courthouse, making their way to an elevator. While walking, Miles looks up at this father, and then looks straight again. Miles then speaks up.

"It's really unfortunate, father…"

Gregory startled, looks down at this son.

"…That he was found guilty. He had a daughter, did he not?"

Gregory nods "Yes, he did." Edgeworth then grunts to himself. "Why did he say he was an accomplice? Perhaps more work of von Karma?" Gregory is silent for a second, thinking. "And there's the ordeal of the other suspect. Gustavia I think his name was?"

Miles intervenes. "Do you think he was the real murderer, father?" Miles pauses for a few seconds before apologizing. "Excuse my rudeness, father."

Gregory shakes his head and mutters "It's alright" and thinks to himself again. He is silent for about 30 seconds or so. "I…" He pauses again. "I can't say I'm sure."

Silence again. This goes off and on for a few minutes, with Gregory pondering and discussing about the case. Miles doesn't seem to mind. He just listens to what his father has to say, while occasionally throwing in his own thoughts.

"This incident seems all very confusing, wouldn't you agree, father?"

Gregory opens his mouth to say something, but once they reach a certain doorway, he closes it. Miles notices this, and stops talking as well. On the other side of the door, there are two people talking. Neither of the Edgeworths could make out what they were saying, or who they were at all. Quietly, Gregory opens the door, and he and his son steps inside, and closes the door as quietly.

The room was fairly large and looked like it belonged in a chapel, rather than a courthouse. There were eight large pillars, 4 on each side of the room. There were also 4 stained glass windows on each side of the walls. The sunset's rays were peaking through the windows, making the stained glass look more beautiful than it already was. There is also a couch on both sides of the room. The floor was completely tile and was sparkling as if it was brand new and not a single foot was laid on it. In shorter words: The room looked marvelous.

Inside this room, stand Blaise Debeste and Manfred von Karma, both standing opposite from each other in the center of the room. As of now, both Gregory and Miles could make out what they were saying. As for Debeste and von Karma, they seem to not notice their entrance and continue their conversation.

"Mr. Chief Prosecutor..." says von Karma. He has a worried, yet also grimace look on his face. As if the worst were to come. And in Manfred's case, that was true. He continues. "...I am sorry."

"von Karma!" shouts Blaise. You could tell there was anger in his voice, but also a hint of disappointment. "It's not like you to make this kind of error..." Blaise faces away from von Karma and stares out of the stained glass window in front of him. His goggles start to fill up with tears and he also pulls at his beard.

"...I never would have thought that Edgeworth would be the one to catch you."

"I..." buts in Karma. Blaise turns back to look at him, curious of what he were to say. Manfred notices this, and sighs as in admitting defeat.

"...was careless."

Blaise grunts, and turns back to von Karma. Once facing him once more, he says the words that Manfred will remember for the rest of his life.

"I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized."

Manfred rears back in shock, dropping his briefcase. A look of shock, pain, anger, and sorrow were displayed all in one look on his face. He couldn't believe it. Him? Penalized? The prosecutor who held up a perfect record for years and it was broken in one sentence? Manfred tries to utter out some words, but remains speechless, no matter how many things he wants to say.

"I've covered for you in the past, but not this time." Blaise finally says to von Karma.

Manfred falls to his knees, as his head drops down as well. For a good minute, he is silent, that one word going through his head. _Penalized Penalized You...Penalized._

Suddenly he lifts his head backs up and screams the surname name he will forever remember.

"Edgeworth!"

This one word echoes thought out the entire courthouse. It startles both Blaise and the Edgeworths; and undoubtedly every ear inside of the courthouse hears it. Manfred picks himself up, snatches up his briefcase, and heads toward the door where Gregory and Miles are standing. Karma pauses at the entrance, when he notices Gregory there. He has a shocked look on his face, but after staring for a couple of seconds that shocked look turns to anger. He shoves Gregory and Miles out of the way, almost making them fall on the floor. He opens the door, and then slams it hard enough, echoing it through the room for minutes.

The Edgeworths look stunned, but then turn their attention back to the center of the room, when they hear a throat being cleared. There still stands Blaise, almost in the exact same spot, beaming a wide grin like in the trial.

"So..." he speaks up. "...how does it feel to be the man, who beat the unbeatable?"

Gregory shakes his head. "von Karma is human like the rest of us. He was not unbeatable. His defeat was to come soon."

"Hmph." Blaise stands there, thinking for a moment. He then turns back to the stained glass window. "True." After staring out the window for a moment, he turns his head towards them.

"Still didn't stop Manfred from having a fit earlier, y'know?"

All three of them stand in the hall, still recollecting what happened earlier. After 2 minutes or so, Blaise speaks up again.

"Yet... in the end." he stifles a giggle. "You still lost."

Gregory takes note of this sentence, and speaks his matter regarding it.

"Yes, well..." Gregory pauses for a moment, as forgetting what he had to say. But then he regains his thoughts and speaks back up. "...I plan to have a retrial, in the future. For Master." straitening his tie, he continues. "And Master will be found innocent for accomplice and all."

Blaise then chuckles, and fully faces Gregory.

"Did you forget, already? The only other suspect fled, to goodness knows where. So unless you plan on finding him very soon, that retrial will have to wait, y'see."

Gregory grunts at this remark. Silence resumes again. The sun continues to gleam through the stained glass window.

Gregory turns to the right wall and also stares out of one of the windows. Thinking. Thinking about the case itself, the verdict, Manfred, Master, and there was his daughter Katherine as well. The thought of her heart-broken face at the news that Master was declared guilty saddens Gregory more.

After staring into space for minutes, he snaps out of it and looks back down from the window.

"I should be going now, Mr. Debeste." Gregory nods his head at Debeste. Debeste doesn't notice, as not only he's still staring out the window, but also he's playing with his lighter. He then stops fiddling with it for a moment.

"Yeah." Blaise turns his head to Gregory, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"You be safe now. Never know what might happen these days, y'know?"

Gregory is caught off guard by Blaise's statement and bears a strange look for a couple moments. He then shakes his head as well as shaking that comment off. The two Edgeworths walk to the other side of the room and open the door. After walking out into the other side, the door closes by itself; it's shutting echoing inside the room.

 **December 28 3:46 PM**

 **Elevator**

Gregory presses the button pointing downward for the elevator. Gregory and Miles sit there, waiting for the lift to come down on their level. Though while standing there, the two feel the ground rumble and shake for a few seconds. Miles stumbles for a bit, almost falling on the floor, but he manages to catch his footing again.

"Woah... easy there." says Gregory, looking down at Miles. "It seems like there was a small earthquake."

Miles, looking a bit embarrassed on almost falling, nods back at his father. At that moment, they hear the ring of the elevator. They turn their attention to it as the two doors slide open. Before stepping inside, they take notice of a man standing in there, in a slouched position. He appears to be wearing the clothes, which a bailiff wears, so the two deduced that he must be a bailiff (or is just a random man who likes to wear the clothes of courtroom bailiffs).

The Edgeworths walk inside the elevator and give their greetings to the man.

"Hello, there sir."

The man stands in an upright position and looks startled for a moment or two, as if he didn't see the two walk in.

"Ah! Hello... um, sirs! Yanni Yogi... sir!" He holds out his hand, still looking a bit surprised. Gregory looks a bit confused for a moment, but eventually takes hold of it and shakes it.

"Gregory Edgeworth and my son Miles."

As soon as he says "my son Miles" Miles nods at the man as well.

"Hello, sir." Miles greets politely.

The three lift occupants stand in there awkwardly for 10 seconds or so, when suddenly Yanni jumps up.

"Ah! Yes... sorry. What floor?" asks the bailiff.

"First floor, thank you."

Yogi presses a button that reads "1" with a star symbol next to it. He notices that it doesn't do anything at all. He presses it again, and then presses the close door button. The lights flicker for a bit, as a bit more rumbling happens. All three of them ignore it, as Yanni presses the 1st floor button a couple of more times. Finally, after the 5th or 6th time, the elevator door closes.

"Heh, these old machines, right?" Yanni chuckles at his remark, yet no one else joins him.

 _5_ _th_ _4_ _th_ _3_ _rd_

The numbers on the display count down. But as soon as it says 3rd the rumbling and shaking from earlier get fiercer, and the elevator creaks to a halt. The lights flash on and off, on and off. The now full-blown earthquake gets fiercer by the second.

All three occupants stumble and thrash about inside the elevator; lights are now nothing but strobe lights. After a minute or so, the elevator takes a sudden drop to the second floor, which makes the three men drop down on the floor, all going dark.

* * *

For a minute or two, all three remain silent, and the light has gone out. Suddenly, all three of them get up from the previous chaos and rub their heads.

"Is everyone okay?" inquires Yogi.

"Yes, I am." Edgeworth, even though unable to see, looks around back and forth, waiting to hear the voice of Miles. But he starts to get worried, as he doesn't hear his voice.

"Miles? Miles!" shouts Gregory, worryingly. "Miles, are you okay?!"

"Y-yes, I'm fine father." Miles voice cries out from the right corner of the elevator.

"Mr. Yogi."

"Yes, sir?"

"You wouldn't happen to have something to break this darkness, would you?"

Yanni sat there in the dark for a moment, pondering Gregory's words. Suddenly, something comes to him and he pulls out something from his right pocket. It was some sort of LED flashlight, thought it wasn't shaped like a normal flashlight. It had a rectangular shape, and the "light" part of this device was on the top to the rectangular object. Yanni presses a button and the light turns on. He puts it in the center of the lift, and the room is lit. Even thought it isn't lit as if the lights were on, you could see a fair bit of the elevator, only dimly lighting the corners.

"Heh, we keep those handy on us for situations exactly like these." chuckles Yogi.

He looks towards the button panel and presses the emergency button. Nothing. He presses it one more time. Nothing again. Worried now, Yanni constantly presses the button, but no change in the environment happens. He now starts to abuse the button, as well as the other buttons, and eventually starts banging on them, but nothing happening with each press. He starts to scream.

"Help! Help! Heeeelp!" Yogi screams and screams while brutally smashing on the buttons. Gregory steps in to stop him.

"Mr. Yogi! Mr. Yogi! Compose yourself!"

The bailiff ignores Gregory command and gives up on the buttons, and proceeds to the door. He tries to pry it open with every single muscle in his body, even if it meant to the point where one of them would break. He tries with all his might, but the door only opens a sliver, if at all.

"Help! Help!"

"Mr. Yogi! Stop this instant!"

Yanni snaps out of it, and turns toward Gregory. He turns away, and after a few minutes of heavy breathing, his breath and Yogi himself calms down. He lets out a sigh.

"Excuse my actions, sirs." He stands up and straightens his clothes and recomposes himself. "I just have a fear of being trapped in an elevator, is all."

"I-I see."

Although Yanni has recomposed himself, he still rapidly tries the buttons, and struggles to be Hercules with the elevator doors. But when neither works again, he lets out a sigh.

"Nothing. It seems like the power has gone out, and I can't get the door open no matter how hard I try."

"It seems..." Gregory speaks up suddenly, but pauses just as quickly. "It seems we may be stuck here for a while."

Yanni gets a little worried, but then suddenly has an idea. He starts to fumble around in his pockets a bit, but gets more and more nervous with each little search he conducts in them. He even fumbles with his shirt pocket, but apparently he still doesn't find what he's looking for.

"Where is it? Where the hell is it?" he constantly mutters to himself.

"May I ask, what you are looking for?" inquires Gregory.

"My walkie-talkie! It's not here." shouts Yogi finally. "Of all days to forget and leave it, goodness knows where, and it has to be right now."

Yanni then looks up to Gregory with a look of hope, but a slight twinge of desperation.

"C-cel-cell phone! Do you have some sort of phone of you?"

Gregory is startled for a few seconds, by Yogi's sudden request. But he shakes his head and digs into his pocket, pulling out a phone. Gregory presses some numbers, and holds up the phone to his right ear. He sighs and looks back down on the phone, presses some numbers, and raises it back to his ear. When Edgeworth does this a second time, Yanni's look of hope and desperation turns into disappointment and grief. Gregory lowers his phone, and shoves it back into his pocket.

"I'm sorry." Gregory says disappointed. "No reception."

"Nooooo..." Yanni backs into the right wall of the elevator and slides down on the floor.

"Who knows how long we're going to be in here before rescue...?"

"Don't fret Mr. Yogi. Soon someone is going to come, and we'll be out of here."

"Let's hope..."

Yanni pulls annoying at his collar.

"...hope that it's soon..."

 **December 28 5:01**

 **Elevator**

Over an hour has passed, and it has been in silence. Gregory is sitting in left corner, reminiscing about the results of the case. Miles is in the right corner of the lift, reading a law book that he read and carried on his person often. And as for Yanni, he's still panicking about his current predicament, but doesn't outwardly show it. Just occasionally, he mutters something under his breath about how tight the air in the elevator was getting. Just the buzzing flashlight in the center was emitting noise, and even that sounded quiet.

"(Maybe I can strike up a conversation?)" thought Yogi "(If I going to be stuck with these two for a while, I might as well...)"

"So..." Yanni said, finally breaking the silence the still air claimed. He pauses at the "So". What to talk about? Something... anything...

"...how's the missus?"

"(Sure.)" he thinks to himself.

Yogi said his sentence quietly, so no one heard what he said. But, his mumble seemed to capture the other two's attention. Miles looks up from his book, momentarily, but when nothing else is said, he goes back to reading. Gregory lifts his head up and turns it to Yogi.

"Excuse me? I didn't quite hear that."

"The missus... how is she?" Yanni spoke the sentence a bit louder and clearer. Gregory hears the questions this time and nods. He also sighs a bit, and a few seconds go by. Finally, Gregory answers.

"I don't have a wife..." Gregory answers simply.

Yogi hears him and nods. He expects Gregory to go into the subject more, but remains silent about it. After hearing the sigh, before the answer, he decides not to press further. However, that doesn't stop him from talking about his S.O.

"In a way, I don't have a wife either, but a fiancée you know?" Yanni speaks up again, trying to continue this "talk." No one seems to want to join in. They two Edgeworths are obviously distressed, and them being trapped inside an elevator where the air what getting thinner by the millisecond, doesn't seem to help their moods.

But, this still doesn't make Yanni irritated. He rolls his eyes. Once again, Yanni grabs at his collar irritably. Towards the elevator's doors he shouts.

"Help! Someone's trapped in here! Somebody, please!"

"Quiet!" snaps Gregory. "Someone will come! Now, please stop that screaming..."

A minute passes. Gregory then speaks up, with a slight apologetic tone, but still with annoyance and the sense of pressure in his speech.

"S-sorry...agh." Gregory starts to rub his temple before continuing. "It's just... a headache is all."

"Are you alright father?" Miles lifts his head up from the book, worrying about his father's comment.

"Hm? Oh yes, I'm fine, Miles. Do not concern yourself with it."

Miles nods, and leaves the subject at that. Gregory too starts to tug at his collar, and looks down at the floor.

"Mr. Yogi, you may have a point..."

Yogi looks up at the mention of his name. He glances towards Gregory.

"...let us just hope that he get out of this predicament soon. I don't how much longer I can stand this..."

Yanni nods in agreement. He then slumps over to another corner of the elevator, and lays his head back on the corner. The slim air is making him sleepier by the minute. Maybe he could...

No! He mustn't fall asleep. What if closing his eyes, he enters a slumber. One you don't wake up from? No, he mustn't succumb to sleep.

He mustn't... he mustn't...

He mustn't...

 **December 28 7:24 PM**

 **Elevator**

"(Ah! W-Where am I?)"

Yanni lifts his head back up from the corner he's rested in. He…fell asleep. He looks frantically around the lift. Nothing peculiar has happened. The light is still buzzing, and the Gregory and Miles are still in their places. He breathes a sigh of relief and despair. Being glad that he didn't possibly die from falling asleep, but is depressed that he didn't wake up into a new environment; still being suffocated in this tight enclosure they called an elevator.

Yogi checks his watch. It has been over three hours. Three hours trapped in this machine. The real question is: how much more time, until the air thins out?

"(No, get that thought out your head.)" Yanni thinks to himself. "(You're gonna be just fine…)" Yanni pops open the button on his collar, as he now starts the sweat more than ever before. "(…hopefully.)"

* * *

Hopefully...this was the only word from not making Yanni go crazy. But, even if this word is repeating in this head, the guarantee of rescue could be close to none. What if? What if, they don't come soon enough and they suffocate inside this elevator? What if one of them goes crazy on each other?

"(No!)" screams the voice in Yogi's head "(I-I can't think that. We're gonna get out of here, eventually...)"

Yanni leans his head back on a wall, but after a couple of seconds, starts to hit the back of his head on it. After a minute of doing this act, Gregory speaks up, obviously irritated by this, but trying not to lose his temper.

"Don't keep distressing Mr. Yogi. All will be well soon."

Yogi stops and looks up towards Gregory. Yanni starts to get fed up, shown by a look of irritation on his face. He can't take this anymore. The air is getting thinner, the light is starting to dim, and these people... they pretend everything's fine, when it surely isn't.

"(I-I gotta...)" Yanni stops mid-thought and thinks some more. "(No-I must get out of here.)"

Yanni stands up in a very prominent posture. Gregory and Miles look up at Yogi, wondering just what was he doing.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Yogi?" inquires Edgeworth.

Yanni shakes his head, while muttering "No" under his breath. He faces the elevator door, a look of determination on his face. He walks up to it, and tries to pry it open, like earlier, only with not much strength. Gregory shakes his head at Yanni's shoddy attempt.

"That's not going to work, Mr. Yogi. Save your strength when it would be most useful."

"You!" Yogi turns his head away from his task and shouts loudly at Gregory. Gregory and even Miles are a bit surprised by Yogi's sudden anger and screaming. "Shut up!"

Yogi focuses his attention back on the door, but after seeing that trying to pull it open is a lost cause, Yanni starts to kick the door. He lifts up his left foot and slams it rather angrily on the lift's sliding doors. Gregory and Miles are again startled by Yogi's actions. Gregory starts to get peeved at Yogi's noise, as he to stands up.

"Mr. Yogi, I think that's enough of that..."

"What do you know, huh?" backfires Yogi. "If you want to die in this lift, be my guest. But, I'm getting out of here...!"

Yogi takes another kick at the door, and a single streak of a crack goes across the small window. Yanni sees this as a sign of freedom, and continues to kick at the door, but the streak remains the same size. Gregory tries to stop Yogi's antics once more.

"Mr. Yogi! Sit..."

"No!" Yanni turns to Gregory, and grabs him by the shoulders, and pushes him to one side of the elevator. Gregory hits the wall with a thud, and slides down. "You...sit down!"

Miles cries out of the sudden sight of this.

"Father!" Miles tries to get up, but then stumbles from weakness. Gregory stops him.

"Miles! Do not concern yourself with this!" Gregory, while not standing back up, faces Yogi. "And you! Calm yourself, or so help me!"

Yogi ignores Gregory's threat and lifts up his leg to kick again. But, due to the little strength he has, he loses his balance and falls on his back. He rubs the back of his head from his fall. He gets back up and faces the imposing door once more, on his knees, and starts to bang on it, with his hands, frantically. Gregory finally loses his temper.

"MR. YOGI! BE QUIET!"

Both, Yanni and Miles are startled by this sudden outburst. The air may be thin, but the sudden tension is thick. After a minute or two of silence, Gregory speaks up, but his normal voice being a whisper to the scream from earlier.

"I-I apologize... for losing my composure like that." Gregory apologizes simply.

Another five minutes passes in complete silence. Yanni again, pulls on his collar, sweating more and more, but he doesn't utter a single complaint.

 **December 28 9:40 PM**

 **The DL-6 Incident**

The air has long thinned out. It was non-existent. One could say, it was a miracle how the occupants of this enclosure were still alive. But, alive as they were, the lack of air made them wish they weren't. Everyone was pulling at their collars, waving themselves with their hands, Yanni was even panting. But nothing worked. None of their tactics worked to give themselves more air. The air that was left was all they had, and it wasn't enough. If they were not to get out of here soon, then rescue will surely come across a dead body or two.

Yanni is the one more noticeably uncomfortable. He doesn't try to kick down or pry open the door anymore. His energy was like that plan, long gone. All he had the strength to do was tug at his collar and scream, his last plans of survival.

"H-help!" Yanni screams out. He has been doing this for the last five minutes, but no one hears.

"H-help! I can't breathe!" Yanni screams out once more.

"Quiet!" snaps Edgeworth. The more he sits in this lift, the more patience he loses. He tries to maintain his composure, though, still feeling guilty for his sudden screaming earlier.

As always, Yanni ignores Gregory's command, and continues yelling.

"P-please! Please, some-someone help!"

"I said quiet!" Gregory has his back against the wall, slowly losing conscious. "You're not making this any easier." Gregory states.

Yanni shoots an angry look at Gregory. "(Stupid lawyer.)"Yogi starts talking in his head again. "(Quiet this, and quiet that. He's just wasting his air telling me to... shut... up...)" Yanni's thoughts slow down to a halt once his mind echoes "air." "(Air...he has air in his lungs...and...if I get it out of him...that's more for me!)" Yanni chuckles at his idea. "(He...he doesn't need it anyways.)"

"Stop breathing..." whispers Yanni. The two Edgeworths hear his whispering, but neither makes out what he says. Gregory questions Yogi on what he said.

"Did you say something Mr. Yogi?"

Yogi looks at Gregory, with a determined, yet crazed expression on his face. Gregory is frightened at the near sight of this. Yogi limps over to Gregory.

"Stop breathing my air!" Yogi screams.

"W-what!?" Gregory shouts, even more afraid than before. "(What is happening? What is Mr. Yogi thinking?)"

"M-Mr. Yogi! Compose yourself!" Gregory's shouts are full of frightfulness. This sound of fear in his voice manages to take the attention of Miles, who is sitting on the other side of the lift. He looks up from his feet to see the catastrophe unfolding.

"I'll...I'll stop you!" Yogi threatens.

"Mr. Yogi, please cease this at..."

Yogi finally loses it.

"Stop breathing my aaaaair!"

Yogi grabs hold of Gregory's throat and starts hitting Gregory's head against the wall. Gregory's senses are now on alert. He tries to wrestle Yogi off of him, but only manages to get his hands off his throat, so he could scream.

"M-Mr.-Yogi! S...stop!" Though Gregory managed to get Yanni's hands off his throat, Yogi takes hold of Gregory's suit so he can try to throw Gregory on the ground. Gregory struggles from being pinned to the ground.

"Mr. Yogi, please compose yourself! Stop this!"

Yanni ignores Gregory and grabs hold of his throat once more. Gregory tries to get his hands off again, but he can't. Gregory is now feeling closer to losing conscious than ever before. Yanni wrestles and pins Gregory to the left corner of the lift, to finish him off, to choke the life out of him. "(He doesn't need it anyways.)" Yanni keeps thinking. But, when Yanni pushes Gregory to the corner, something falls out of Yanni satchel. A pistol. It falls out and slides toward Miles.

Miles is in utter shock of what's happening. "(S-stop!)" Miles repeats this in his head, but doesn't have the energy to say it. He has to stop them, but how? He's just a child! How can a child, who is nearly at the point of passing out, stop two grown men fighting? But, as soon as that thought finishes, Miles looks down at his feet.

"(A...A pistol!)" Miles is surprised to see this laying at his feet. "(Maybe...)" Miles reaches towards the gun. "(Maybe I can use this to stop them...)"

Miles picks up the firearm, and stares at the gun and his hand carrying it. He looks up and sees that his father manages to stop Yanni strangling him, but the two of them are still wrestling each other.

Gregory still tries to wrestle Yogi off of him, but he manages to catch a glimpse at Miles. He notices Miles raising his arm, as to throw something, but what? He then notices the pistol in his hand...

"Miles!" Gregory shouts. "Miles, no!"

"(Get away!)" screams Miles thoughts.

"(Get away from my father!)"

Miles throws the gun. The gun hits against Yogi's back, and the pistol discharges, the bullet going through the elevator door's glass. The loud sound startles both Yogi and Edgeworth, and Yogi falls on his back, onto the light, unconscious. The room goes dark because of this. And Gregory passes out from the loud noise as well. And the little strength Miles used to throw the pistol makes Miles fall on the floor and black out as well. But, before they all slip into a state of comatose, they all hear a blood-curdling scream that echoes in the courthouse.

"Uuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"

 **December 28 Minutes Before the Incident**

 **Court Records Room**

 _I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized._

 _I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized._

 _I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized..._

This sentence has been repeated over and over in Manfred's head. How could this be? Manfred von Karma, the perfect prosecutor, penalized? This had to be some mistake, a joke or maybe even a dream. But it was none of those things. The perfect record von Karma held up for years was ruined in one trial day.

Manfred walks around in circles, aimlessly in the court records room. The 9-letter sentence continued to cut into him like a blade covered in salt. He walks and walks, with very little care in the world.

Finally, Manfred looks down at the floor and heaths out a sigh. He looks up from the floor, and seems a bit confused.

"(Where in the hell am I?)" Manfred thinks to himself. He looks around in the room and from what he can make out; it's the Court Records room.

"Hmph" he grunts. "I must have wandered in here carelessly."

But then he notices something. The lights are out. "(Why is the lights out?)" he thinks curiously. He looks at the door leading out to the room, and from the small glass window on the door; the lights appear to be out on the other side of the room as well.

"Hmph, foolish lights...constantly going dark." he barks out angrily to the darkness.

He fumbles his way to the doorway and eventually finds the doorknob. He turns it, and exits the room. He looks left and right down the long corridor. No one is there; save for a man that is rushing down with much speed and haste from Karma's right side. The man, who is a courtroom bailiff from what Manfred can make out, nearly bumps into von Karma due to his rushing. The bailiff stops running and turns around to face Manfred. He nods his cap, offering an apology.

"Ah, sorry! Excuse me sir!" the bailiff then soon rushes off in his direction again, barely finishing the apology.

"Hmph!" Manfred simply grunts in annoyance. He continues to strain his eyes, looking down the hallway both ways. Only from nearly bulging out his eyes, is he only able to make out what he thinks to be the doors to the lift. He grunts once more, and heads toward that direction.

Unfortunately, for him, there is a lot of fumbling down the hallway. "(If only I could see.)" he thinks. "(Maybe then, I won't look like such a fool.)"

Manfred assures himself that he has made his destination, as he can make out the lift's doors in front of him. Though he stands there, listening...

"(Is...Is that arguing I hear?)" Manfred listens some more to hear the sounds of a scuffle. It sounds like it is a serious one. But Manfred stops straining his ears, and simply shakes his head. "(Bah, probably just my imagination.)"

Manfred looks for the elevator buttons in the darkness. It is a little hard to find, but he eventually finds it. Karma presses the down button. Nothing happens. He presses it again, nothing.

"This foolish tech-"

Suddenly, Manfred hears a gunshot ring out. But that was the least of his worries. There was a pain! A horrible, burning pain in his right shoulder! The pain hits Karma so suddenly, that he lets out a blood-curdling scream.

"Uuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"

Manfred falls to his knees in front of the door. He grasps his right shoulder from the pain. He looks at his hand, and then his shoulder. A quite of bit of blood on both places. Although, there wasn't any blood on the floor, and most of his suit had absorbed the bleeding. Looking at the wound, he deduced that it's a gunshot wound. "(That must be that gunshot sound I heard.)" he concludes. He looks behind him. From what little he could see, there was no bullet on the ground, or lodged inside of the wall. He reasoned that the bullet...must still be inside of him! Looking toward the elevator door again, he thinks angrily.

"(Who would do such a thing?)"

Suddenly, the lights flicker back on. He looks upward to be met with a bright sight. He looks down the corridors, left and right. The lights are completely on now. Manfred glances down the hallways, slowly getting up from the ground, regaining his composure at the same speed of lifting himself up, all while still clutching his shoulder.

As Manfred finishes lifting himself off the floor, he hears the elevator's ring. He's caught off guard by the sound, but quickly directs his attention to the door. The door opens before him, and he is met with a sight he thought he'd never see.

Inside the lift, the lights were still out, but the outside lights lit the inside. Lying in the elevator was two people from what he could see in his peripheral view. One was a man wearing the clothes of a courtroom bailiff. He was on his back, and there appeared to be an object under him. This man was unconscious, as far as Manfred could tell. The other was...

"(Wait, I recognize this boy.)"

Lying on his side was Miles Edgeworth, who too was unconscious.

"(But, if he's in here...then.)"

The prosecutor stepped inside the lift and looked around and saw the person he was expecting.

Gregory Edgeworth, the defense attorney. The man he just faced in the trial today. He was lying slumped in the corner and there was a large bruise on his neck, as if someone were choking him.

Manfred was in awe to see this man, but also a bit of anger boiled up in him. This was the man...the man who ruined his record! The man who shamed him with a penalty on his perfect record! Manfred steps toward Gregory, until he steps on something.

von Karma looks down at his feet. "(A pistol?)" Manfred picks up the firearm, and stares at the gun and his hand carrying it. His look of anger is still shown on his face, but it's mixed with a slight bit of shock. He stares at the pistol for a minute, when he realizes the situation.

Manfred von Karma was holding a pistol, and standing before Gregory Edgeworth, the man who ruined his perfect record, who; is currently unconscious.

Manfred shakes his head, and starts to walk out."(I shouldn't.)" But Karma stops mid-thought as the cursed sentence repeats through his head once more.

 _I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized._

Manfred develops a twisted grin on his face.

 _I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized._

He stands in front of the unconscious Gregory.

 _I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized._

He raises the pistol towards Edgeworth.

 _I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized..._

 ***BANG***

* * *

 _In his last moments, Gregory Edgeworth was still unconscious_.

 _He died, never knowing who had shot him._

 _Later, he spoke through a medium, blaming Mr. Yogi._

 _He was fooled! It was the perfect crime!_


End file.
